Petition to the House of Commons

Whereas:

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) is Canada’s main law governing pollution prevention and the management of toxic chemicals;

Scientific understanding of environmental and health risks of exposure to toxics and pollution has evolved since CEPA was passed in 1999, and CEPA is largely failing to address today’s sources of toxic exposure;

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development completed a year-long study of CEPA in June 2017. The Committee’s report, entitled, “Healthy Environment, Healthy Canadians, Healthy Economy: Strengthening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 ”, made 87 recommendations to strengthen and modernize the Act; and

In February 2018, more than 500 Canadian scientists and public health professionals wrote to the Prime Minister in support of the Standing Committee’s recommendations, stating: “Canada has a serious pollution problem that is a threat to both human health and the quality of our environment.”

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to pass legislation to modernize the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) without delay, including (i) stronger protections from toxic exposures, (ii) enforceable national air quality standards, (iii) recognition of the basic human right to a healthy environment, as well as adequate protection for vulnerable populations.

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